a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard of a computer input device, and more particularly to techniques of using a computer keyboard as a musical instrument keyboard.
b) Description of the Related Art
Personal computers are prevailing in various fields. A personal computer is usually equipped with a keyboard and a mouse as its input device and a display as its output device. The keyboard is used for entering characters, symbols and the like.
Personal computers are also used in the field of music. If sequencer software is installed in a personal computer, the computer can be used as a music sequencer which inputs and edits musical information. A user can enter musical performance information such as notes with a keyboard or mouse and can store it in a storage device such as a hard disk. More specifically, a user enters a pitch and length of each note. This keyboard is not used, however, as a musical instrument keyboard, but it is used as a computer keyboard from which symbols and numerical numbers are entered. A musical instrument keyboard has, for example, 64 keys. When a key is depressed, sound having a pitch corresponding to the key is produced.
If a personal computer is used as a music sequencer, a user can enter musical performance information and store it in a hard disk of the personal computer. If a sound board is added to a personal computer, the musical performance information can be produced as sounds. Namely, if a personal computer music sequencer is instructed to reproduce sounds of performance information, the performance information stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk is supplied to the sound board which then produces sounds corresponding to the musical performance information.
A computer keyboard is used as a device for entering symbols, numerical numbers and the like. Even if a user can make a musical performance in real time with a musical instrument keyboard, it is very difficult for such a user to make a musical performance in real time with a computer keyboard. Operations of inputting musical performance information with a computer keyboard are much complicated and take a lot of time. It is difficult for a user to make a musical performance with a computer keyboard as easily as with a musical instrument keyboard.
A personal computer can be used when a user composes a piece of music. However, a user cannot demonstrate a full capacity of composition ability by using a personal computer keyboard more than by using a musical instrument keyboard, because complicated operations of a computer keyboard or mouse are required when musical performance information is entered, and because the operations take a lot of time. Therefore, a user cannot enter the musical performance information immediately when the user has a sudden idea of composition, hindering the creative activity of composition.
An electronic musical instrument with a keyboard compatible to musical instrument digital interface (hereinafter called a MIDI instrument) can be connected to a personal computer. MIDI is a common interface specification used for interconnection of electronic musical instruments. If a personal computer is used as a music sequencer, the personal computer can receive performance information (MIDI data) from a MIDI instrument and can store it in a storage medium such as a hard disk. It is not so easy for a novice to connect a MIDI instrument to a personal computer. The present inventor proposes to use a computer keyboard as an electronic musical instrument keyboard.